Control mechanism for an adding machine



July 3, 1962 w. A. ANDERSON CONTROL MECHANISM FOR AN ADDING MACHINEOriginal Filed Dec. 29, 1955 United States Patent 3,042,300 CONTROLMECHANISM FOR AN ADDING MACHlNE Walter A. Anderson, Trumbull, Conn.,assignor to Underwood Corporation, New York, N.Y., a corporation ofDelaware Original application Dec. 29, 1955, Ser. No. 556,217, newPatent No. 2,942,776, dated June 28, 1960. Divided and this applicationDec. 14, 1959, Ser. No. 2,794

6 Claims. (Cl. 235-62) This invention relates to adding machines ingeneral and more particularly to improvements in control mechanisms forsuch machines for causing the machine to perform various functions oroperations with greater ease and capability of speed.

The subject matter herein covered is divided from an originalapplication Serial No. 556,217, filed December 29, 1955 and now maturedinto Patent No. 2,942,776, dated June 28, 1960.

It is one object of the invention to provide efficiently,key-controlled, power driven members for causing various machinefunctions to be instituted, such members being variously releasableunder key control to govern the machine to predetermined desired machinefunctions and in connection therewithto institute a machine cycle. Theprovision of such members lightens the finger pressure ordinarilynecessary for operation of the control keys.

An object adjunct to the foregoing object'is to provide efficient meanswhereby the machine may be caused to function repeatedly in the-samemanner at, the will of the operator.

Still other objects and features of the invention will be apparent uponthe consideration of the description which follows and in the light ofthe accompanying drawing. For environment background, reference may behad to said Patent No. 2,942,776.

FIGURE 1 is a right hand side elevation of a keyboard portion of thesubject machine and incorporating some function controlling keys,

FIGURE 2 is a fractional view of immediate mechanism associated with arepeat function key,

FIGURE 3 is a perspective illustrating a repeat function key andassociated mechanism, and

FIGURE 4 is a left hand side elevation of a cycling clutch and somerelated mechanism.

. The machine of the invention is designed for high speed of operationand includes a rotary drive and related mechanism whereby through anumber of function controlling cycling keys, a number of differentfunction controlling members are adapted to power-set the machinedifferentially for desired functions and cause the machine to execute acycle to carry out such functions. The construction lightens the workload imposed on the keys and permits their operating load to be moreuniform, not unlike the light load which is present in connection withusual amount indexing keys, not shown.

Referring now first to FIGURE 4, the machine embodies a toothed hub 70on adrive pulley, not shown, and which may be constantly motor-driven. Ashaft 41, turnably supports said pulley and hub and has unitarilyturnable therewith a disk 65 having a clutch dog 66 thereon which isnormally held disengaged from the hub by a clutch controlling lever 83.Operation of said lever will cause a spring 67 to engage said clutch dog66, causing the disk 65 and shaft 41 to receive a cyclic turn, generallyas is well known in the art. The lever 83 has pivotal support on a stud85 and a detent lever 97 having pivotal support on the same stud, bycooperation with a notch in-the disk 65, prevents backward rotation ofthe latter when full cycle position is reached. A spring 98 extendingbetween thelevers 83 and 97 urges them to will institute a sub-totaloperation.

3,042,300 Patented July 3, 1962 stand normally oppositely positionedagainst a stud 99.

The machine embodies a number of function instituting keys 492, 446, 473and 242. The key 446 is for conditioning the machine to execute anadding operation if preceding its depression an amount stands indexed.The same key if operated while no amount stands indexed The key 492 isfor causing the machine to print an indexed amount without it being runinto the register. The same key if depressed without an amount standingindexed, will cause a total taking operation to take place. The key 242is a repeat operation key which if operated will cause an indexed amountto remain indexed to be repeatedly added in uninterrupted cyclingoperations until it is permitted to restore. The key '473 is for causingthe machine to execute a subtracting operation.

As will be brought out later herein, the operation of any one of thesefunction control keys 492, 446, 473 and 242 is adapted to institute acyclic turn of the shaft 41 through operation of the clutch controllinglever 83.

Said keys are biased upwardly to restored positions respectively bylight springs 493, 448, 474 and 244 and are supported verticallyslidable in slots of a top and a bottom keyboard plate 101 and 10 2.

The keys 492, 446, 242 and 473 have respectively slide members 498, 453,249 and 477 related thereto which severally are urged rearwardly bystrong springs 500, 454, 252 and another spring not shown. Latchelements 497, 452,. 246 and 476 associated with individual shoulders onsaid slide members, respectively keep them normally latched in theirnormal, forward moved positions as shown. The key 492 has a pin496thereon which at operation thereof will release the latch element 497clear of the shoulder of the related slide member 498 so that the latterwill move rearwardly under the power of the spring 500. Similarly thekey 446 has a pin 450 for releasing its related slide member 453. Thelatch element 476 is releasable by a similar pin on key 473. The repeatoperation key 242 is adapted to release its related latch element by anoverlying lug thereon instead of by a pin. Furthermore, a spring '248tends to move the latch 246 to effective position.

Each of the slides has at its front end an upreaching ear, and all theseears lie in front of a pin 253 which is carried on the lower end of anarm 78 which is fast on a shaft 79. The latter is pivotally supported inthe side walls 104 of a keyboard structure having top and bottom plates101, 102. Said shaft 79 has at its left end an arm 82 which by a link 81has connection with the clutch controlling lever 83.

It will be seen that a rearward spring-power effected operation of anyslide member 498, 453, 477 or 249 will result ina rearward operation ofthe arm 78 and an engagement of the clutch 66, 70. Furthermore, any ofsaid slide members when so operated rearwardly will by a cam formationwhich is provided thereon directly forwardly of the latch shoulder,force the related latch element further downward and will hold it therepending a cycle-effected forcible return of the related slide member, aswill become evident hereinafter.

On a shaft 43 which is concentrically arranged with r the shaft 41 androtates unitarily therewith, there is 3 so that normally the pin 94 isoperatively connected in the lower end of the slot. At the rear end, thelink 93 has a pivotal connection with a link 87, through the medium of ayoke 89, the latter being pivotally carried on a frame-supported stud90. The link 87 has a fork or slot for guidance squarely to the shaft 43and carries forwardly of the cam 57 a roller 86 by means of which suchcam is adapted to displace the link 87. In the full cycle position ofthe machine, the cam 57 is in the position seen in FIGURE 3, and allowsa rearward movement of the roller 86 and its supporting link 87.However, the spring 98 of the clutch controlling lever 83, through thearm 78, maintains normally the links 93 and 87 in forward positions.When in the full cycle posi tion of the machine any one of the slides498, 453, 477 or 249 is caused to be operated by the release of itsrelated latch element, it will result in a rearward displacement of thelinks 93, 87. In a late phase of any machine cycle instituted by any ofthe stated keys, the cam 57 acts on the roller 86 to restore said linksforwardly. If the operated key is any one but the repeat key 242, thenthe forward restoration of the links will be transmitted to the sliderestoring arm 78 and thus will also have a clutch opening effect. If therepeat key 242 is operated, then said links will also be cam movedforwardly, but there will be a restoring effect on the arm 78 only ifthe key is very quickly released, as will become evident; later herein.

The keys 492, 446 and 473 have each a lower pin under their relatedlatch elements 497, 452 and 476, such pins in reference to the elements497 and 452 being numbered 494 and 449, respectively. These lower pinslimit the downstroke of the keys. Furthermore, through these pins, eachof the keys 492, 446 and 473 becomes automatically blocked againstrestoration as its related latch element becomes cam actuated by a slidemember. It follows thus that if upon operation of any of the keys 492,446 or 473 the operator removes the finger from the key before the cycleis completed and thus the cam 57 arrives in its normal position, therewill be only a single cycle because the slide member will becomeautomatically relatched in restored position. Prolongedly sustainedoperations of these same keys will produce distinctly terminated cyclesfollowing each other slightly spaced until key pressure is removed. Atthe end of any cycle in which any of these keys is released, its relatedslide member will become relatched and the clutch '66, 70 then standsopen.

I rem: Repeat Mechanism When an item is to be registered repeatedly anindexed amount is required to be retained in a set-up mechanism. Therepeat key 242, whenever operated, will have this effect but because themeans for this is not a part of this invention it is not shown. Wheneversaid repeat key 242 is operated and held down it will cause an entry ofthe set-up amount, once or repeatedly, until the said key is released.While the key 242 is held operated the machine will cycleuninterruptively and thus in continuant successionJ The key 242 is urgedto restore by a spring 244. When the key 242 is depressed it releasesits associated latch element 246, see FIGURE 2, so that the slide member249 becomes spring operated. A pin 254 on the key 242 serves to limitthe down stroke of the latter but in distinction from the lower pins onthe other keys this pin has no coaction with the latch or bell crank246. This is because the key 242 is required to be returnable readilywhile the associated slide member 249 may stand fully or partiallyreleased.

As has been stated, the repeat key 242 when held down for causingmultiple entries of a set-up amount, will cause also the machine tocycle without interruption. To this end, the key 242 has a stud 278overlying a face on the link 93 and when such key is operated it willswing said link downwardly about its rear end to bring the horizontalportion of said L-shaped solt into alignment with the pin 94. Therefore,so long as said key 242 is held operated, the link 93 can have norestoring effect on the arm 78, the slide 249 and the clutch controllinglever 83. The link may be said to stand uncoupled from the arm 78. Thelink 87 and thus also the link 93 will recipro cate then idly becausethe spring 95 has a slight rearward urge which causes the roller 86 tofollow the cam 57. The item will be registered repeatedly so long asthis repeat condition prevails. When pressure is removed from the key242, the link '93 due to a nose overlying the pin 278, will be upwardlyurged and then will so move as soon as the vertical portion of theL-shaped slot registers with the pin 94. This is as soon as the roller86 follows into the low sector of the cam 57. Therefore, if the key isreleased before the high position of the cam 57 is at the roller, thenthe link 93 will become coupled with the arm 78 to effect itsrestoration in the same cycle. If not, then a further cycle will followtoward the end of which the arm 78 will be restored.

Thus it will be seen that a momentary depression of the key 242 willinitiate a single amount entering cycle, but a retention of the same keyin depressed position until about mid-cycle time will cause a repeatcycle to follow directly.

The above description of a preferred embodiment is illustrative only andvariations of structure and functional cooperation are possible withoutdeparture from the spirit of the invention as set forth in the followingclaims.

What is claimed is:

1. In an adding machine having a power source, a cycling shaft and anormally open clutch adapted to be closed to connect said shaft to saidpower source for machine cycling action; the combination with aplurality of different function instituting cycling keys, of membersindividually related to said keys and movable each from a normal to anoperated position, means to urge individually said members toward theiroperated positions, in-

dividual means associated with each member to hold it in normalposition, each such means being releasable by one of said keys to causethe operation of its related member, a clutch controlling means subjectto operation by any of said members to close said clutch, meanscontrolled by each of said members through operation thereof to blockthe related key against restoration, a restoring means for said membersand said clutch controlling means and including means governed by saidshaft to permit normally the operation of any of said members andadapted to restore any operated member in the course of a cycle as wellas to cause said clutch automatically to open at the conclusion of thecycle, and means whereby any holding means is controlled by its relatedkey to become effective only if such key is permitted to restore.

2. In an adding machine having a power source, a

cycling shaft and a normally open clutch adapted to be closed to connectsaid shaft to said power source for machine cycling action; thecombination with two function instituting cycling keys, of membersindividually related to said keys and movable each from a normal to anoperated position, means to urge individually said members toward theiroperated positions, individual means associated with each member to holdit in normal position, each such means being releasable by one of saidkeys to cause an operation of its related member, a clutch controllingmeans subject to operation by any of said members to close said clutch,means controlled by only one of said members through operation thereoftoblock its related key against restoration pending the restoration ofthe same member, restoring'means for said membersas well as saidcontrolling means and including means governed in the full cycleposition of said shaft to permit either of said members to becomeoperated through release of their holding means, said restoring meansadapted in a late cycle phase to restore either of said members and inconjunction therewith to cause the clutch to open as the cycleconcludes, and means responsive to the operation of said other key torelease its related holding means and to incapacitate said restoringmeans until such key is released, whereby under the control of such keythe machine will uninterruptively cycle until the release of such key iseifected.

3. The invention set forth in claim 2, inclusive means controlled bysaid cycling shaft and associated with said restoring means so that ifsaid other key is released before a certain point in the cycle, saidrestoring means will be effective in the same cycle, and so that if thesame key is released beyond such point in the cycle, the restoring meanswill instead be effective in the next cycle.

4. In an adding machine having a power source, a cycling shaft and anormally open clutch adapted to be closed to connect said shaft to saidpower source for machine cycling action; the combination With a functioninstituting cycling key, of a member related to said key and movablefrom a normal to an operated position, means to urge said member towardan operated position, means associated with said member and adapted tohold it upon its movement to normal position and being releasable bysaid key to cause an operation of said member, a clutch controllingmeans subject to operation by said member to close said clutch,restoring means for said member and including means governed in the fullcycle position of said shaft to permit said member to become operatedthrough release of its holding means, the said restoring means adaptedin a late cycle phase to restore said member and also to cause saidclutch to open, means response to the operation of said key to releaseits related holding means and to incapacitate said restoring means untilsuch key is released, and means controlled by said cycling shaft andassociated With said restoring means so that if said key is releasedbefore a certain point in a cycle, said restoring means will beeffective but otherwise will become effective in the next cycle.

5. In an adding machine having a power source, a cycling shaft and anormally open clutch adapted to be closed to connect said shaft to saidpower source for machine cycling action; the combination with aplurality of diiferent function instituting cycling keys, of membersindividually related to said keys and movable each from a normal to anoperated position, means to urge individually said members toward theiroperated positions, individual means associated with each member to holdit in normal position, each such means being releasable by one of saidkeys to cause the operation of its related member by theurging means, aclutch controllingmeans subject to the operation by any of said membersto close said clutch, means controlled by each of said members throughoperation thereof to block the related holding means against restorationpending substantially the full restoration of any operated member, arestoring means for said members and said clutch controlling means andincluding means governed by said shaft to permit pormally the operationof any of said members and adapted to restore any operated member in thecourse of a cycle as well as to cause said clutch controlling meansautomatically to open the clutch at the conclusion of each institutedcycle with an attendant arrest of the cycling shaft, any of said keysduring continued depression preventing the return of its related holdingmeans to operative holding position, and means effective upon therelease of operating pressure on any operated key to bias such key andits related holding means to their normal positions, whereby uponoperation of any one of said keys there will ensue one or moredistinctly terminated cycles of said shaft, the number of cycles beingdepending on the time operating pressure is released from the ey.

6. In an adding machine having a power source, a cycling shaft and anormally open clutch adapted to be closed to connect said shaft to saidpower source for machine cycling action; the combination with aplurality of different function instituting cycling keys, of membersindividually related to said keys and movable each from a normal to anoperated position, means to urge individually said members toward theiroperated positions, a latch individually associated with each memberwith a shoulder thereof to hold it in a normal position, each such latchbeing releasable by one of said keys to cause the operation of itsrelated member by the urging means, a clutch controlling means subjectto the operation by any of said members to close said clutch, edge meanson each member. effective with respect to its related latch to block itsrestoration of the operated member, a restoring means for said membersand said clutch controlling means and including means governed by saidshaft to permit normally the operation of any of said members andadapted to restore any operated member in the course of a cycle as wellas to cause said clutch controlling means automatically to open theclutch at the conclusion of each instituted cycle with an attendantarrest of the cycling shaft, any of said keys during continueddepression preventing the return of its related holding means tooperative holding position, and means eifective upon the release ofoperating pressure on any operated key to bias such key and its relatedlatch to their normal positions, whereby upon operation of any one ofsaid keys there will ensue one or more distinctly terminated cycles ofsaid shaft, the number of such cycles being depending on the time theoperating pressure is released from the key.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,360,005 Mehan Oct. 10, 1944 2,361,002 Anderson Oct. 24, 1944 2,660,374Hopkins et al Nov. 24, 1953 2,678,160 Hutton May 11, 1954 FOREIGNPATENTS 668,704 Germany Dec. 9, 1938

